We were not entirely sure whether we wanted to go to Venice while in Italy, mainly because it is such a touristy city: we would have to contend with throngs of tourists, but we would also be part of the problem. Ultimately we decided to go after better understanding the causes of many of the problems and how we could support the city more sustainably.
After eating many amazing, truffle-filled meals in Italy last fall, Christian decided to get me a truffle for Christmas. Despite the rapid expiration date and mile-high carbon footprint of this tiny fungus, I loved every bite of pasta, pizza, and eggs graced with its presence. I also wanted to know how I could get the flavor without repeating such an expensive and impactful purchase.
A bike crash in college shook my confidence to the point that I was no longer comfortable riding. Some associated baggage is tied up with the desire to do it well or not do it at all. A recent mountain biking trip helped me practice going easy on myself, and some of those lessons came back to the office with me.
Fireflies, lightning bugs, glow-worms… these are the insects that herald the beginning of summer. Whatever you may call them, they are declining in numbers globally. There are several factors threatening them, including climate change, habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticides. Here we will take a look at what researchers across the globe are doing to help illuminate the problem and take steps to reverse it.
Whether you’re new to craft beer or have been around for years, there is always more to learn about new styles, new breweries, and new initiatives to ensure that everyone can enjoy themselves. Heading into American Craft Beer Week, we’ll look at what we as individuals can do to promote a more equitable and transparent brewing industry and have more fun while doing it.
Learn from history or be doomed to repeat it, we are warned. The battle between small, independent brewers and large, consolidated production is only in its latest incarnation. There are meaningful arguments about the pros and cons of each side, but the full picture – with all the impacts of our decisions – isn’t always visible. Equity is continuously at stake when we vote with our dollars.
So often in the corporate world we link busyness with value. As a manager, especially in a remote work situation, I try to stress that results are more important than image, and that productivity is a function of self care. Eighteen months into the pandemic, my team practically shoved me out the door for a vacation so I could finally practice what I preach.
Burnout is real, and time off is important. But, the way I do vacations, I usually come back more exhausted than I left. Christian and I took two weeks off for a road trip to visit friends and see the West, and we might be on to something with a more realistic pace, more unstructured down time, and more schedule flexibility than we’re used to.
This spring I was asked to give a keynote speech at my alma mater and tell a group of physics students about the last fifteen years of my life since graduation. I was flattered, of course, but also baffled because when I was in school, my grades were not the best and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.
This last post is going live on the anniversary of Chernobyl, an oft-referenced event that has nothing and everything to do with Fukushima. Global concerns about nuclear energy persist as the Japanese government continues cleanup and looks to alternative fuel sources. The request we were left with from residents was this: go home and tell everyone what a wonderful place Fukushima still is.